Feeding mechanism



July 21, 193 1. E. w. LARSEN FEEDING MECHANISM Filed April 13, 1927 //7/ /7/a/ [/Wa/ W Mme/7 W 4 rrao STATES PATENT? OFFICE EINER LARSEN, 03' CHICAGO; ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T WESTERN ELECTRIC comm, INOOBQPORATE'D, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK IEEEDING MECHANISM Application filed April 13,

This invention relates to feeding mechanisms, and more particularly to improvements in mechanisms for feeding or advancin articles of circular cross section.

e principal object of the invention is the provision of simple, inexpensive and eflicient mechanism for successively advancing articles to a predetermined position from a su ply thereof.

n accordance with the general features of the invention, there is provided in one embodiment thereof a mechanism for automatically feeding tubular or cylindrical articles of various lengths to a centerless grinder. The articles are placed in a substantially V-shaped hopper or magazine and as they gravitate toward theopen bottom end thereof they are engaged by a plurality of rotatingfriction disks whereby they .are rolled downwardly along a side wall of the hopper and caused to drop upon a continuously moving belt which serves to advance them into a funnel or tubular guide member through which they are advanced to the grinding machine by a stream of water or other fluid under pressure.

Qther features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of a feeding mechanism embod ing the features of the present invention, s owin also a portion of a centerless grinder wit which the feeding mechanism may be employed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 33 of Fi 2; v

Fig. 4 is an'en arged fragmentary horizonital section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, an

, Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

the numeral indicates a portion of the supporting frame of a centerless grinder of any well lmown construction comprising a grinding wheel 11 and a peripherally opposed feeding wheel 12, the axis of the feed- 1927. Serial No. 183,330.

ing wheel being disposed at an angle to the axis of the grinding wheel in order to effect an automatic axial feed or traverse of the,

and inasmuch as the present invention is not concerned with the structural details of the grinding machine proper, further illustration and description thereof are believed to be unnecessary.

In accordance with the features of the.

present invention, mechanism is provided for successively advancing articles to be ground from a supply thereof to a position wherein they are operatively engaged by the grinding and feeding wheels. Secured to the frame 10 of the grinding machine is a bracket 15 which supports a horizontally disposed channel member 16, the latter comprising the main-supporting member for the improved feeding mechanism. Supported at one end of the channel member 16 is a housin l8 and mounted at the opposite end thereo are a pair of vertical brackets 19 and 20. A substantially V-shaped hopper or magazine 21 for containing a plurality of articles 22 to be ground is mounted between horizontally dis osed arallel bars 23 and 24. One end 0 these are are supported in the brackets 19 and 20, respective-- ly, and the opposite ends thereof are supported in the housing 16. The hopper 21.is secured to the bars 23 and 24 by means of a plurality of clamping members 25-25 secured to the walls 26 and 27 of the hopper.

The lower portions of the walls 26 and 27 of the hopper are spaced from each other so as to provide an opening (Fig. 8) through which the articles are passed, one at a time, and caused to drop upon a continuously moving belt 30 which is arranged to travel around a pair of pulleys 31 and 32 rotatably supported at opposite ends of the channel member 16. The pulley 32 is driven from a horizontally disposed shaft 33 by a pair of intermeshing bevel gears 34 and 35 .(Fig. 4),

and the shaft 33 is, in turn, driven from a main drive shaft 37 through a pair of intermeshing bevel gears 38 and 39. The drive shaft 3 may be driven from any suitable source of power (not shown).

A portion of the wall 26 of the hopper is by a pair of friction rollers or circular disks 42 42 are arranged to peripherally en thelowermost articles in the hopper.

rollers 42 are secured to a horizontally disposed shaft 44 rotatably journaled in suitable bearings formed in the housing 18 and bracket 19. By means of suitable gearing 45 connecting the shafts 33 and 44, the rollers 42 are driven at the desired 'redetermined s& eed in the direction indicate by the arrow ig. 3) The rollers 42 are movable longitudinally. along the shaft 44 so that the dis-v tance between them ma be varied in accordance with the size, sti ness or other characteristics of the articles being advancedthe'reyr r As the articles gravitate toward the bottom of the hopper 21, they are 'gripped'between the rollers 42 and the curv lower portion of the wall 27, and due to .the' rotation of the rollers 42 the articles are'rolled downwardly along the wall 127; Upon'the lowermost article reaching the lower extremity of the wall 27, it falls upon the traveling belt 30. A bar 46 supported by brackets 474-47 secured to the channel member 16 serves .to guide the articles as they are advanced by the travelin belt 30into a funnel mouthed tubular gui e member 48 (F' 5) positioned between the end of the trave ing belt and the work rest 13.

As shown in Fig. 5, the guide member '48 is provided with a longitudinal opening 49 for the passage of an article therethrough,

the forward end of this opening being enlarged and tapered as indicated at 50 .to

facilitate the entrance of the article therem. Surrounding the opening 49 and com- .municatin therewith is a passage 52 which at an angle to the opening 49. I

-27,-itfalls upon the continuously'moving ,b'elt30 which advances it into the tubular guide member 48 through which it is advanced to the grinding machine by the pres- As the tubes gravitate to-,

the lower extremity of the wall sage 52, as hereinbefore escribe .As soon as the forward end of a tube reaches the grinding wheel it is carried along the grindmg surface thereof by the action of the a grinding and feeding wheels. It should be cut away as mdlcated at 41 (Fig. 2), whereunderstood, of course, that the speed at which the rollers 42 and the belt "30 are driven depends upon the time required for the grinding operation, it being obvious that the tubes should not be advanced to the grindin wheel faster than the speed atwhich t e grinding operation is performed.

such a speed as will insure the delivery of a tube to the belt 30 as soon as the rear end of the preceding tube has cleared the forward end of the rfxt adjacent tube.

i Althoughthe invention as herein illustrat-- .ed and described may be employed to ad- .vantage for feeding articles toa centerless grinder, it should be understood that the novel features of the invention are capable of other ap lications within the scope-of the ap nded c aims;

at is claimed is: p

1. 'In a mechanism for feeding articles to a grinding machine, a travelin belt for receiving and advancing an artic e, a member having a passa therein for guiding the article from the rge end of the belt to the grinding machine, and means including a passage communicat' passage for directing a flui under pressure to the surface of the-article 'to advance it through said I 2. In a mec anism for advancing an article to a predetermined pomtion, a hopper for contalnin a supply of articles, a con tinuous belt %or 18081V111g an article from the hopper, means for movin the belt to advance the article,-a member a assage therein for guiding the artic e om the discharge end of the belt tothe redetermined position, and means inclu g a passage terminating within the guide passage or directing'a fluid under pressure to the surface .of the article to advance it through said passage.

3. In a mechanism for feeding articles to urthermore, the rollers 42 are driven-at with the guide a a grinding machine, a continuously moving belt, a substantially ti-shaped hopper for containing a supply of articles, said hopper having an opening at the bottom end thereof for the passage of articles therefrom, a.

plurality of driven friction rollers for successively transferring articles from the he per to the belt, a member having a passage therein for guiding an article from the discharge end of the belt to the grinding machine, and means for directing a fluid under pressure upon the article at an angle to the direction of its movement through said pa e,

.4. ii an article feeding mechanism, a member having an opening therein, means fer advancing an article to said opening, and means including a passage commune eating with the opening for directing a fluid under pressure against a surface of-the article to advance it. through said opening.

5. In an article feeding mechanism, a member having an opening therein, means for advancing an article to said opening, means including a passage terminating wit in the opening for directing a fluid under pressure against a surface of the article to advance it through said opening, and means for delivering articles to the first mentioned advancing means.

6. In an article feeding mechanism, a member having an opening therein, an endless conveyor 0 opening, and means including a passage terminating within the opening for directing a fluid under pressure against a surface of the article to advance it through said opening.

In witness my name this 30th day of March,'A. D. 1927.

EINER WILLIAM IARSEN.

r advancing articles to said whereof, I hereunto subscribe 

